296 DICKSON ON THE ADVANTAGE OF 



my letter that the material could be had at one half the price 

 of cotton, and that the question was one of economy in the 

 estimates, and came more immediately under his notice than 

 Sir C. Wood, or any other of the ministers to whom I had 

 written. However, as his colleague Earl Kussell says, 

 " nothing prospers in this country until it has had a good 

 deal of soaking," I suppose I must rest and be thankful, and 

 as long "soaking" or submerging, called steeping, makes 

 fine quality of fibre, I must wait the convenience of the 

 " soaking" cabinet of Gladstone and Co., in order that some- 

 thing fine may be had from the hands of the (" all the talent/') 

 government. 



As jute is seldom or ever more than half the price of Flax, 

 the increase imports of jute and the increase export of yarn 

 in 1858, shows a true statement of the cause of prosperity in 

 Dundee, with this difference, which has not been noticed, that 

 what is called Flax -yarns is made from one-half jute, if not 

 two-thirds of the whole 1,932 tons exported in 1858, the Flax 

 and jute being mixed in the sliver before being spun, arid 

 may we not hope that the day is not far distant when, through 

 the influence of our rulers, the merchants engaged in shipping 

 their linens from Gralway to America by the new line of 

 steamers, may plant in Connaught some branch of their 

 Ulster manufactures, first sowing the seed of the plant, 

 which has so abundantly rewarded the farmer this year 

 (1858), for any extra care he has bestowed on its growth 

 and preparation. 



As few of the Connaught farmers, or indeed of the 

 English or Scotch farmers, are aware of the great advan- 

 tage of Flax-growing, and of the real benefit of manufactures 

 to families who till the soil of Ulster, I shall add an extract 

 from the Coleraine Chronicle, which may be worthy of con- 

 sideration : 



" There is at present a little girl, now sixteen years of age, 



